The Woodland

I feel the pull of the wood, the breath of the air, unique to the woodland. As I step into the wood, it is as if I am bathed in newness, I feel the release, as if, taking off my old skin and taking on a new one. The rich dark smell of the earth is intoxicating. The perfumes of the plants, the rotting wood and leaves and the many blossoms tease my nose and fills me with wonder. I hear the scratching of the squirrels, busy busy; the varied songs of the birds, the tiny sounds of the vole scurrying back and forth. The wily fox, waits in the distance, approaching slowly, nearer, watching, waiting. The trees creak as their tops sway in the wind. I feel the strength of the Oak as I ask to lean against his trunk, or the playfulness of a young Hawthorn. I hear the stern but sound words of the birch, like your grandmother telling you a few home truths. I feel the reticence of the Hazel, the boundaries of the older Hawthorn, though once allowed in, Her welcome is like that of a dear friend. The Yew, ah what can I say about the Yew. She or He, I have met both; not one that you would rush in upon and yet when invited in, I feel held, safe and protected, able to take a breath and continue on! How the wood feeds my soul, how it calls me when I go about my daily tasks! The deep quiet, undisturbed even with the distant noise of traffic; a peace, ancient. It speaks of wildness, of density, of times both past and beyond the now. It is unfathomable, undisturbed by our petty world that we create. There is a wisdom, instinctively, one can feel the inner knowledge. There is a sense that no matter what 'man' does, he may continue or he may become extinct, the trees know that there is more, much more. We are but fools in comparison. We are, as the tiniest bug, annoyingly buzzing around aimlessly, whilst the woodland draws up from the core of the earth, of the Goddess, the well of the ancients, the knowledge of all that is or ever will be. We are just drops of rain in the wild, untamed sea by comparison.

Celtic Shamanism/Celtic Druidry

I would like to define the title differently, more as a part of my druidry. However, shamanism is now a well known term that is more readily understandable. I have put Celtic Shamanism to show its relevance to this land and our own native stories, myths, trees, goddesses and gods and Fey. Maybe if I use druidry in conjunction with shamanic, I can lose the term shamanic and just put druidry. The problem is, it is not that simple. My sense of personal druidry may not echo what it is for another druid. Also, some may argue that journeying has no place in druidry. As such, it is difficult to use the term druidry in a generic sense. It would not be true for all druids. In the same way, if I were to say that some pagans are walkers between worlds, it would not be true for all pagans. As such, I cannot use that term either. However, some have used the Taliesin poem to show our native Celtic Shamanism. Taliesin is also the greatest Bard which is druid! Anyway enough ranting - for myself personally, it is part of my Druidry which is unargueable!

What I am writing is my own form that draws from various courses and books as well as my own experience. When I talk about my own experiences I mean the wisdom I have received from trees and Otherworldly beings in meditation, journeying, altered conciousness states (not drug induced), during healing or Altar Devotions & dreams.

I have a passion for this land, for its trees and native plants and herbs, its folklore and stories. Sometimes I feel just as irritated, given all the information that is out there, that people still go elsewhere for traditions instead of seeking their own. Many people do not even know we have our own traditions and stories.

I have a very good and wise friend. She was my first teacher and in many ways my wisest teacher. She works with spirit, she walks between the worlds, she is not of any specific religion or spirituality although she veers towards the Native American Indian Traditions. However, she doesn't let bereaurocracy cloud what she presents or teaches. She teaches from the well of her own knowledge as well as that of others - she adheres to nothing and is open to all things. This is very good for me because I am often honoured with her wisdom and she pulls me away from all the 'but, I can't etc' She doesn't live in the world of thou shalt nots! She lives in a belief of freedom of spirit however restrictive this world becomes. She recently reminded me that I should trust what I know!

Strangely, I had already been developing a course called Creative Workshops for Women. This gave me a sense of support and acknowledgment. In turn this has given me more energy to pour into these workshops. They will begin in the New Year. These workshops incorporate a range of creative activities, including storytelling, chanting, dance, drumming, song, painting, body painting, working with clay, acting out, improvisation, as well as, journeying, ritual, ceremony, celebration of life events, relevant to women and fire ceremony. These activities are utilised as an avenue for letting go and healing.

Details can be seen on my website: www.oaktreecentreofhealth.webs.com

You may wonder what this has to do with shamanism or druidry. Ah well, you see! Hopefully the venue will incorporate a wooded if not a woodland area - this is still to be arranged. I am also a Celtic Reiki Master/Practitioner and use the Ogham as part of this. I am also working more in depth with trees at the minute as part of a year long, Ogham course I am on. All these things intertwine and weave in the Cauldron! I will be using the 'talking stick' and journeying in these workshops as well as a unique way of creating personal story, in the here and now, as given to me by my guides and helpers in spirit. I will also be using ritual and ceremony including fire ceremonies. Within some of the workshops there will be celebration of certain life markers as relevant to Women only. Markers that often go unnoticed in the lives of Women. They extend the ideas of celebration of menustruation and menapause - incidentally annoying in and of themselves, as they both start with the word 'men!' It should be wombastruation and wombopause. They would probably give us less trouble then! lol! Anyway, I digress, there will be opportunity to celebrate and even extend this eventually to include personal celebrations. In context of the Workshops these celebrations may include, the conclusion of one's career or the start of one's career or ceremony for when your last child starts or leaves school, the break down of a relationship or the start of a new one, the changing status of a Woman as she goes through her life.

I hope to put more about actual Celtic Shamanism/Druidry and what it means to me personally as well as some good old fashioned facts. However, I have to say, facts are fine in their place but whatever your native shamanism/medicine woman/Druid/healer, you will find more out there in nature than in books. In the end, the trees offer a means of healing, the herbs, even water under a full moon with the intention of healing. Our own native collective memory holds our celtic symbology and we can tap into that. My story and your story, as it is at this very moment, is our heritage, our native story, our gift to our ancestors and our children's children. Lets sings it, act it, verbalise it, dance it and chant it!